Equipment for roundhouses.



W. J. BOHAN. EQUIPMENT FOR RO UNDHOUSES.

I I I 'ALPPLIOATION IILED SEPT. 21, 191-2.

1,080, 1 93. Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

W. J. BOHAN.

EQUIPMENT FOR nonnnnousns.

APPLICATION FILED SBPT.21,1912.

1,080,193. 7 Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

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EQUIPMENT FOR ROUNDHOUSES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 21, 1912.

Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

WILLIAM J. 30mm, on sat. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

EQUIPMENT non nounnnovsns.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

Application filed September 21, 1912. Serial no. 721,564.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM BOHAN, a resident of St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and Stateof Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Equipments for Roundhouses, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to equipments for round-houses, and more particularly to apparatus for inducing a forced draft in the fire-box. of the locomotives, after they have been out of service, to expedite the generation of steam in the boiler of the locomotive; to apparatus for carrying off the products of combustion escaping from the stack of the locomotive entering the round-house under steam, to the outside of the round-house, so that they will not escape into the roundhouse; and to apparatus for ventilating the round-house.

In railroad practice, it is frequently necessary to drive a locomotive into the round house for the purpose of having its boiler cleaned, washed out and refilled, or to be repaired. Except when some minor repair .only is necessary, the locomotive which enters the round-houseu nder its own steam, must have the fire in its fire-box extinguished, and afte repair or being cleaned out, washed and refilled, it is necessary to rebuild the fire for the generation of steam of suflicient pressure in the boiler to restore the locomotive to service condition. An important desideratum in this practice, is to keep the locomotive out of service as short a time as possible, or to restore the locomotive to service condition as quickly as possible after the desired repair has been made or the boiler has been refilled. I

A further desideratum is to prevent the products of combustion issuing from the smoke stacks of the locomotives from escaping into the round-house and fouling the atmosphere therein. Heretofore, it has been customary to provide openings or devices termed smoke-jacks in'fthe roof of the round-house for the escape of these products of combustion, but these devices permitted much of the heat in the round-house to escape with the products of combustion and did not,

if counter-draft was encountered, carry all of the products out of the round-house, be cause they were not adapted to make a tight joint or be connected to the stacks, and depended upon natural draft to carry oif the products.

The present invention designs to provide an improved equipment for round houses whereby a forced draft may be induced in the fire-boxesof the locomotives, by apparatus adapted to be connected to the stacks of the locomotives,'to lessen the time usually consumed in generating steam in the boiler of sufficient pressure'for service, and thus effect substantial economy in restoring the 10- comotives to service condition after a they. have been out of service. This equipment, in addition to effecting this important economy, serves to carry ofi all products of combustion, either when the locomotive enters the round-house or during the time when fire is used to generate steam. Further, this equipment provides means for ventilating the round-house when desired.

The invention provides apparatus which may be connected'to the locomotives in any of the stalls of a round-house, toinduce the necessary draft for proper and rapid combustion in starting the fires in the locomotives; provides means for regulating or modifying the draft, as desired; provides for conveyance of allof the products of combustion from the locomotives to the outside of the round-house, and provides for the ventilation of the round house.

A further important feature of the invention is that the steam-blower line usually provided in round houses for forcing the draft when getting up steam in the boiler may be dispensed with.

.The invention consists in the several novel features hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan illustrating a round-house equipped with the invention. Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section upon an enlarged scale showing the flexible pipe-connections for conducting air or the products of combustion to the exhaust main. Fig. 4 is a detail section of the flexible connection for permitting the lateral pipe to swing ver portion of the uptake which is adapted to fit on the stack of the locomotive. Fig. 7 is a detail, partly in section, of the connection shown in Fig. 5.

A denotes a round-house which may be of usual construction, having tracks or stalls b therein for the locomotives, as usual and as well understood in the art.

An exhaust main 10, preferably overhead, extends around the round-house near the posts a, and this main is connected to a pair of suction-fans 11 and 12 by branch-pipes 13 and 14 which are connected to the intakes of the fans, respectively, and a vertical branch 15 of said main. The outlets of the fans are connected to I a stack 16 which extends through the roof of the round-house and is open at its upper end for the escape of the products of combustion or fluids forced therethrough b the fans.

At each sta l, a connection is provided whereby a tight-joint may be made with the stack of a locomotive, so that draft may be induced, in desired degree, in the boilerflues and boiler-furnace of the locomotive.

The connection for each stall comprises an upwardly extending branch or pipe-section 20 communicating with the main, a horizontal pipe 21 or lateral leading into pipe 20, and an uptake section or pipe 22, having a flared terminal or hood 24 which is shaped to fit tightly against the upper end of the stack of the locomotive and to make substantially an air-tight joint for the eflective induction of draft in the furnace of the boiler and for conducting the roducts of combustion to the exhaust-mam without permitting any of the products to escape into the round-house. Hood 24 is bolted to a ring 25 fixed on the lower end of pipe 22. A ring 26 is secured to the upper end of pipe 22 and the outer end of lateral pi e or branch 21 has an elbow which exten s into ring 26. The latter is loose around the terminal of pipe 21 to permit the uptake to swing laterally relatively to the lateral pipe. A ring 27 or packing is secured to pipe 22, and serves as. a flexible closure for the joint between the ring 26 and section 21. Pipe 22 is flexibly connected to the downturned end of pipe 21, by a pivotal connection consisting of bearings 28 on ring 26, and lugs 29 on a ring 30 secured to plpe section 21, which permit flexure of the uptake 22 inwardly or outwardly, accordin to the position of the stack in the roundouse. Bolts 31 serve to hold the ring 26, and pipe 21 is in connected relation. This structure exemplifies' a pipe which is flexible in the direction of the track.

The outer end of pipe 21 has its downturned end flexibly connected to pipe 20' to permit vertical swing of said pipe and the uptake suspended therefrom. Rings 23 and 34 are secured to pipe 20. These rings are.

formed to provide a closure between these pipes which permits flexure of one relatively to the other, ring 34 beingflexible for this purpose. Ring 33 is formed with seats 35 at the sides thereof, which are adapted to receive pintles 36 on a ring 37 which is secured'to pipe 21. This flexible or pivotal connection between pipe 20 and the laterally extending pipe 21 permits said pipe to be swung u wardly or downwardly according to the helght of the stack on the locomotive, and so that the inlet terminal or hood 24 ma be brought into snug contact or close fitting relation with the stack of the locomotive. These connections thus exemplify a flexible pipe-connection for permitting the intake terminal to be connected to stacks of difl'erent heights and to be placed into close fitting or substan: tially air-tight relation therewith.

A tilting beam 40 is pivotally suspended from a hanger 41,- as at 42, and a counterweight 43 is connected to the outer end of this beam by a rod 44. The other end of the beam is connected to ring 25 on thelower end of the uptake pipe 22, by stirrups'46. This counter-weight and beam serve to hold the flexible pipes and their connections elevated when they are not in use. Beam 40 extends angularly and to one side of pipe 22, so that the-counter-weights 43 will be disposed in convenient position around the stalls where they will be easily accessible. These weights serve to hold the flexible (pipe elevated and may be removed when it may be desired that the weight of a beam should be utilized in making a firm joint between the stack and the'hood.

A butterfly valve 48 is pivoted in each of the branch-pipes 20 and t e stem 49 of each valve is extended to one side of its pipe and has an arm 50 secured thereto. These valves are adapted to cut off or close pipes 20, respectively when the connections are not in use, so that when the fans are being operated for exhausting air or products, through one or more connections for the other stalls, air will not pass into the main through the connections which are not in use. Each valve also serves to regulate or modify to a nicety, the draft, as desired, when air is being drawn through the connection for the purupper end 'of the V pose of firing up or expediting combustion in the furnace of the boiler. A rod 52, which has its lower end provided with notches 53 and is adapted to be held in dif-' ferent positions by a bolt or pin 54 in a guide-loop 55,.has its upper end connected that might be desired, and the-valve may be held in different positions to regulate or modify the draft, according to the draft desired 1n any particular locomotive for any particular purpose.

It will be understood that the plant will include a branch from the main for each stall so that any desired number of locomotives may be exhausted at the same time.

When the locomotive has been out of service, and is to be placed in service, the intake terminal or hood 24 at the stall where the locomotive is, will be lowered into engagement with the stack of the locomotive. For the purpose of permitting this to be done, despite variation in the height of the stack, or in the position of the stack in the roundhouse, the flexible connections which permit vertical and lateral movement of the hood or mouthpiece are employed, and to avoid escape of the fluid in the pipe and prevent escape to the round-house, these joints and connections are made air-tight. When the fans 11 and 12 are operated, air and the products of combustion will be drawn through the fire-box of the locomotive, the boiler'flues and the stack of the locomotive, thence through uptake 22, lateral 21, and main 10 to' the fan and then exhausted through the stack 16. A number of loco-motives maybe fired up at the same time in this manner, it being necessary only to open the necessary valves 48 for that purpose. Furthermore, by opening the valves more or less, the desired degree of vacuum may be produced in the pipe-connections for proper, eflective and rapid com-- bustion in locomotives of different sizes and types.

Obviously, the apparatus may be used to carry oil? the products of combustion from locomotives entering the round-house with fire in the fire-box, so that the round-house will not be filled with smoke therefrom. The apparatus may also be used to ventilate the round-house when desired, by the manipulation of valves 48, so that air will be drawn through one-or more of the hoods which are not connected to locomotive stacks.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details set forth, and these may be modified within the scope of the appended claims Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A round house equipment comprising an exhaust main, a pipe section projecting and extending laterally from said main,

means connected to the free end of said section for connecting it to the stack of a locomotive, said pipe section vbeing pivotally connected at its other end to the exhaust main to permit it to be swung, to bodily raise and lower said connecting means into and out of engagement with the stack of a locomotive.

2. A round house equipment comprising an exhaust main, a pipe section pro ect1ng and extending laterally from said main, an lip-take pipe connected to the distal end of said laterally extending pipe having means at its lower end for connecting it to the stack of a locomotive, said pipe section having its other end pivotally connected to the exhaust main topermit it to be swung vertically to bodily raise and lower the connecting means and the up-take pipe.

3. A roundhouse equipment comprising an exhaust mainhaving an upwardly extending branch thereof, a pipe sect-ion projecting and extending laterally from said main having a downwardly extending end, means connected to the free end of said section for connecting it to the stack of a locomotive, and means for pivotally connecting it at its other end to the branch on the exhaust main to permitit to be swung bodily to raise and lower said connecting means into and out of engagement with the stack of a locomotive.

4. A round-house equipment comprising an exhaust main, a horizontally extending pipe having downwardly turned ends, one of said ends being pivotally connected to said main to permit the pipe to swing in a vertical plane, an up-take pipe pivotally connected to the other end of said horizontal pipe and means for connecting the uptake to the stack of a locomotive.

5. A round-house equipment comprising an exhaust pipe formed of sections, having means at one end for connecting it to the stack of a locomotive and having its other end connected to an exhauster, a pivotal connection between the sections and a flexible ring between the pipe terminals.

6. A round-house equipment comprising an exhaust pipe formed of sections, having means at one end for connecting it to the stack of a locomotive and having its other end connected to an exhauster, and a flexible connection between the sections comprising pintles and open hearings or seats on the pipe terminals respectively, and a flexible ring bet-ween the pipe terminals.

7 'A round-house equipment comprising an exhaust pipe formed of sections, having means at one end for connecting it to the stack of a locomotive and having its other end connected to an exhauster, and. a fiexiterminal of the other is extended, and a flexible ring between the terminals.

8. A round-house equipment comprising an exhaust mam, a pipe-sectlon communicat- I ing with said main, a horizontal pipe, means for pivotally connecting one .end of said horizontal pipe to said pipe-section to per-' mit the horizontal pipe to swing, said means comprising a ring having) oppositely disposed seats constituting a caring, mounted on the upper end 0 said upwardly extending pipe, a flexible ring on said first named ring and engaging the lower part of the endofsaid pipe,--pintles in said oppositely disposed seats andan up-take section or pipe flexibly connected to the other end of said horizontal pipe for swinging laterally thereof;

9. A round-house equipment comprising an exhaust-main, a' plpe-section communieating with said main, a horizontal pipe,

meanssfor flexibly andpivotally connecting one end'of said horizontal pipe to said pipesection, for swinging the horizontal pipe in a'vertical plane, said means comprising a ring having oppositely disposed seats constituting a bearing, mounted on the upper end. of said upwardly extending plpe, a

flexible ring mounted on said first named ring and engaging'the lower part of said dependent end, a ring on said dependent end havingtdependent projections, adapted to work in said oppositely disposed seats, and an up-take section or pipe flexibly and pivotally connected to the other dependent end of said horizontal pipe for swinging laterally thereof. v

10. A round-house equipment comprising an exhaust main, an upwardly extending pipe-section communicating with said main, a horizontal pipe having dependent ends,

means for flexibly and pivotally connecting ring and engaging the lower part of the otherdependent end, a ring on said dependentenfd having projections adapted to work in said bearings, and means to hold the ring on the up-take section and the ring. on the dependent end in connected relation.

11. A round-house equipment comprising an exhaust main, an upwardly extending pipe-section communicating with said main, a. horizontal pipe having dependent ends, means'for flexibly and pivotally connecting one end of said dependent end to said pipe section, an up-take section or pipe, and means for flexibly and pivotally'connecting said up-take section to the other dependent end of said horizontal pipe comprising a ring secured to said up-take section provided with oppositely disposed bearings, a flexible ring mounted on said first named ring and engaging the lower part of the other dependent end, a ring on said dependent end having projections adapted to work in said bearings and bolts extending through the ring on the up-take section and the ring on the dependent end to hold them ;in connected relation.

12. A round-house equipment comprising an exhaustmain, an upwardly extending pipe-section communicating with said main, a horizontal pipe having dependent ends, one of said ends being flexibly connected to said pipe-section for swinging the horizontal pipe in a vertical plane and an uptake section or pipe flexibly connected to the other end of the saidhorizontal pipe for swinging laterally thereof, a ring fixed on the lower end of said up=take section, a

hood bolted to said ring on one side, and upstanding stirrups secured on the other side, a bracket member pivotally secured to said stirrups, and counterbalancing-means secured to said bracket-member.

' W. J. BOHAN.

Witnesses E. M. BOESEL,

R. A. HU'RM. 

